vonkamp's Barrel Back 18.......

[gcarter]

I needed some funds for the 22 Testarossa so I took on rebuilding Barry's (Baron Kamp) late 60's 18 Barrel Back (#18219). It's all the usual stuff, replace the original small tank, move and replace the rear tank bulkhead and install a new RDS 41 gallon tank, clean up the inside of the hull, check for rot, install a new battery box in the rear STBD corner just in front of the transom, paint the inside of the hull w/white Bilgekote, refinish gimbal (Volvo 270), install a Stainless Marine through transom water pickup, install a Groco sea strainer, ditto closed cooling, etc. etc. etc.
The boat, for its age, is amazingly solid....no recoring decks or replacing stringers on this boat.

[gcarter]

One thing I've noticed w/Donzi's is that there is HUGE differences in glass layup quality.......this boat while solid, looked inside like some five year olds had done the glass. It was rough as a cob, in fact, any self respecting cob would take offense at the comparison.
The outboard gussets ran almost to the chine, and the excess glass was simply wrapped around the gusset ends.
I decided that w/all the investment Barry was making in the project, it should look the part. I ground down all the high spots in the engine compartment area and started filling the low spots with filler. Then I cut the ends of the gusstes at 45*.

[gcarter]

After cutting back the gussets, I refinished the ends. I cut a template from a manila folder to cut four pieces of mat bonded glass. After lightly grinding the new glass, I filled it also. It's now virtually invisible.

[hardcrab]

Yeah, talk about glass lay up by 5 year olds; I was suprised and a little disappointed by what passed for construction on my '66 18' 2+3.
The leading ends of the stringers and gussets looked like someone hurled a fistfull of snot into the general area and called it good enough. Hey, it lasted 40 years ! What the hell do I know ?!

[Sagbay32]

It is very interesting to see how the older hulls were manufactured. I am sure there were many different hands working in production throughout the years.

I am looking forward to watching the progress. Keep up the good work.

Mike

[gcarter]

Yeah, talk about glass lay up by 5 year olds; I was suprised and a little disappointed by what passed for construction on my '66 18' 2+3.
The leading ends of the stringers and gussets looked like someone hurled a fistfull of snot into the general area and called it good enough. Hey, it lasted 40 years ! What the hell do I know ?!

Yep, the front of the stringers were the same way, but since they are out of sight, I didn't touch them.

[gcarter]

I am sure there were many different hands working in production throughout the years.

Yes, and this is my point, I know the '80's boats would change in glass quality from hull to hull.
But we're here to fix them, aren't we?????

[gcarter]

Here is a picture of the inside of the hull ready to paint. Also the battery box is installed.
The box sits on two wedges cut from a 2 X 4 epoxied into the corners of the transom and the rear side of the rear gusset. The wedges are also encapsulated in epoxy. The plate is cut from some 1/2" Starboard and screwed to the wedges. The battery box came from Mr Poodle and is screwed to the plate...literally as the starboard is threaded. Additionally, the box is through bolted to the Stbd stringer for a total of eight screws. I don't think it's going anywhere.

[gcarter]

As already mentioned, another part of the restoration is a new RDS 41 gallon fuel tank. Since the original tank was only 25 gallon ???? (I never saw it since I didn't remove it), the rear tank bulkhead has to be replaced and moved to the rear.
I made a new bulkhead from clear 1" pine and glassed it before tabbing it into place. Then I "buttered" the bulkhead into place using thickened epoxy. A few days later I found the time to tab the bulkhead into the boat.

[Sagbay32]

What made you decide on pine, or wood for that matter?

Is there a non-organic product that could be used instead? I know nothing about this stuff.....just gathering info.

Mike

[gcarter]

It could, in this application, just as easily been plywood or just about anything. But in structural applications, like stringers, solid wood of a particular thickness has an advantage over plywood in that half of the various layers are running in the wrong direction to the stress. Also, plywood has end grain on all the edges, not just two like solid wood. If the plywood isn't thouroughly sealed on all its edges, and water penetrates, it can easily get rot everywhere.
But the real reason I used clear pine is that was the material of choice for Donzi stringers for years.

[Sagbay32]

Thank you for clearing that up. I too believe in the "why fix it if it ain't broke" philosophy.

Is there some type of starboard type material that could have the same structural integrity as the pine?

Mike

[gcarter]

There're lots of different foam products, you just have to use substantially more glass for strength.
Also, when foam is used, careful core reinforcement is required in the area of motor mounting bolts and other high compression areas to eliminate the possibility of core crushing.

[gcarter]

I like to foam in tanks.....I think I've solved any problems w/this method.
But first, preporation....I sanded the new RDS tank to bare metal on all surfaces of the bottom and sides and primed it w/R-M EP789 two part epoxy primer. This particular primer has a lot of zinc chromate in it. Then I put two coats of coal tar epoxy on the primered areas. This material makes it completely water proof.
After I tabbed in the aft tank bulkhead, I used a 1 3/8" hole saw to cut a hole in the very bottom of this part for the drain pipe. The 1" PVC drain pipe was then epoxied into place through both bulkheads. The original pipe was installed using double sided rubber tape. This is a common entry point for water and therefore corrosion.
Two 4' long pieces of 2" X 2" X 1/4" aluminum angle were temporarily bolted onto the outboard sides of the stringers.

[gcarter]

I asked Phil Reed to come over and help me get the tank into place....it's a bit of a hand full to do it by yourself. Once in place, I clamped two 2 X 4's, along with some shims, accross the tops of the temporary angles to control expansion of the foam. Two additional 2 X 4's were layed accross the stringers and the tank was suspended from them.